Fallen Son
by 8belles
Summary: Self indulgent one shot of Cap dying in Infinity Wars 2. Yep. I killed him. (yes, I borrowed the comic title)


Fallen Son

The sky was a kaleidoscope of colors as Avengers chased aliens across the sky. Sonic booms echoed off skyscrapers with violent explosions of earthly and extraterrestrial ordinance. Above, the stars seemed to twinkle in broad daylight except those were not stars. Sam cartwheeled through the air like a missile, chasing aliens. Thor summoned powerful bolts of lightning to the bodies of foes as Hulk leaped nimbly from target to target, a joyful smashing glint in his eye.

Below, Thanos stood upon a pile of rubble where the White House used to stand. The battle was shifting in favor of the Avengers. There was only one thing left to do: take down Thanos.

"THANOS!" the exhausted voice of Captain America rang out above the fray. Smoke drifted into space with debris and bodies as the battle raged on below, above and all around them. Thanos slowly turned his bloodied purple face towards the Avenger with a leering grin as Rogers ran towards him at full speed. In the grip of the golden gauntlet, a limp Iron Man hung like a rag doll.

A low rumbling chuckle emanated from the mad Titan's throat as he cast aside Stark to level his gauntlet at Rogers, a wicked gleam in his eye.

Bucky looked up from his latest victim feeling something horrible was about to happen. He saw Steve rushing Thanos, who teetered uncertainly in the last legs of the fight.

"STEVE!" Barnes bellowed as Rogers lifted his shield up to use it as a guillotine upon Thanos, reminiscent of what he had done just months before to Tony Stark in Russia, exposing his body to attack.

The flash of light was blinding with the clanging gong that seemed to suck all the air out of the space. For a moment, time froze still as those in the throes of battle were temporarily stunned.

Before anyone else moved, Bucky was charging up the hill to Rogers's side. Crashing to his knees besides Steve in debris, Barnes ignored the decapitated body of the Titan and the shimmering golden gauntlet on his cold, dead hand. The gaping hole in Cap's chest felt like his own and his throat closed in sobs that choked his voice. Squeezing his eyes shut, the tears still obeyed gravity, cutting swaths through his grimy, filthy face.

"Buck." The simple word made Bucky's eyes snap open.

"Steve. Oh God, Steve." Barnes whispered, "You stupid jerk. What did you go and do that for?"

Rogers eyes were half lidded as the color drained from his face, "People… gonna die. Can't sit back. It's over?"

"Yes, it's over. And you did it. You always do." Bucky choked, holding his friend in his arms.

"Shield. Yours." Rogers took his failing strength and looked hard at Barnes. Bucky glanced briefly at the shattered shield laying only a few feet away.

"No. I… I can't. I'm not worthy of it." Bucky babbled, eyes wide with tears flowing fresh down his stubble covered cheeks.

"Not perfect soldier. A good-" Rogers gulped air, "man."

Bucky's eyes widened in fear, "I'm not a good man. Stop talking this nonsense. You're Captain America. Not me." He sniffed loudly, " _I just got you back, Steve_."

"Peg and I… we'll wait-" Steve gulped again, "for you." A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips and the light faded from his eyes.

"Steve?" Bucky shook Rogers gently. "Steve?!" The panic rose in his voice. Crumpling down, pressing his forehead to the chest of his best friend, Barnes cried.

Stark heard despondent weeping as his head spun in his helmet. Thanos had knocked him out cold before tossing him aside like garbage and now he lay a few feet from Bucky and Cap. Why was there crying? It made him think about his parent's funeral and the tears he didn't dare shed at the service.

Groaning as he sat up, he flipped up his visor and saw the shield in shards on the ground. The tesseract vision almost overpowered him of the dead Avengers piled up like scrap metal in a heap. "No. No. NO." he whispered violently, crawling onto all fours to the shield.

Lifting the pieces up, he tried to match them with numb fingers and disbelieving eyes, not able to fully comprehend what he was seeing until he heard the howl of mourning just beyond. Putting the pieces down, he looked straight ahead and saw the inconsolable Barnes holding the body of Steve. Thor alighted nearby and approached respectfully. Vision floated in gracefully but solemnly. Black Widow approached quietly, tears also etching dust trails down her dust covered cheeks. Barton sheathed an arrow, hanging his head in respect. The Hulk looked as remorseful as he could. Wanda came running from a distance and was caught in the arms of Peter Parker, who held her as she cried on his shoulder. He'd seen this before as the image of Uncle Ben shadowed his eyes.

Sam was the last to arrive and his face told a story of fresh grief that he was so familiar with. He folded his wings and went to kneel at Cap's side just like he had done for Riley.

The Avengers had assembled one last time.

A/N: This was brought on by an interview that Chris Evans did a few days ago (March 2017), about his contract with Marvel. He is done with them after Infinity Wars 1&2\. But he expressed the general interest to keep playing Cap until they cut him loose. Sebastian Stan still has a lot of time with Marvel. With virtually nothing to go on (and I'm not fresh on the comic's side of the story) her is my gratuitous one-shot when Chris gets killed off in the Marvel universe and Sebs takes his place. When this does happen, I'll be weeping hideously ugly fangirl tears. And I'll watch that movie 10X. Thanks for the readership. 8belles


End file.
